Choice in Caregivers will decrease as Baby Boomers Age

There are many assisted living facilities and nursing homes available to help seniors with their care needs, but increasingly, seniors are desiring to remain in their homes as they age.

Service providers are consistently reporting that they cannot discover and they cannot keep direct care workers, which makes it difficult to supply the care that consumers need.

As a growing number of baby boomers cross the threshold into aging, members of the Me Generation are confronting a new and growing issue: Who will take care of them when they cannot take care of themselves?

Their value may increase substantially in the years ahead.

On the other hand, demand for personal caretakers currently is overtaking supply, experts say.

It’s a situation few households are prepared for, however, one many will face. As family members gather for the holidays, it often becomes clear that falls, memory lapses and a variety of ailments have actually taken a toll on aging loved ones and assistance is required.

But a scarcity of certified workers, rising costs and a demographic shift have senior citizens facing a caregiver crisis that might take a bit of the appeal out of their golden years.

For families, navigating a labyrinth of gently managed home services companies to find the ideal caregiver may not be simple, and it won’t be cheap.

The expense of home health care increased more than 6 percent last year, in accordance with a report released in September by Genworth Financial, a Virginia-based firm that offers long-lasting care insurance policies.

Consumers paid a national typical rate of $22 per hour for caregiver services, or more than $49,000 per year, in accordance with the report, which was based on surveys of more than 15,000 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day health facilities and house care service providers.

Long-lasting care insurance is another alternative, but less than 8 percent of Americans have actually purchased it because of rising premiums and a dearth of companies, according to a 2016 research study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sometimes a supplement to family caregivers, in some cases the only alternative, paid caregivers supply senior citizens with assistance for the activities of every day life, such as bathing, dressing and consuming. Over half of home caretakers have a high school education or less and their pay is on par with salaries for fast-food and retail workers.

That suggests most families wind up footing the bill themselves, a financial burden that rapidly can diminish a life time of cost savings.

The United States population is quickly aging: Roughly 10,000 infant boomers turn 65 every day, and over half ultimately will require some type of long-lasting care, in accordance with a Pew Research study.

Basic health insurance and Medicare do not cover these costs, and while Medicaid helps settle caretaker costs for individuals with persistent conditions who satisfy income requirements, many families do not certify.

Ryan’s Caring Hands can help. We offer two options for care that give you the service that you need at a price that you can afford. Contact us for more information!